Method for tying outerwear to minimize undesired loosening

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a method for tying laces on outerwear to minimize the possibility of their becoming loose. The method includes tying the laces so that the laces become tied tighter over time when the wearer moves.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to tied outerwear, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for tying outerwear to minimize the possibility of the ties becoming loose.

BACKGROUND

There are multiple methods known for tying outerwear. FIG. 1 contains an illustration 100 of a shoe tied according to the prior art. In this example, there is a left lace ending in aglet 101, a left lace loop 103, the right lace ending in aglet 102, a right lace loop 104, and with the laces tied in a knot 105. As will be discussed further below, a drawback associated with this particular tying method is that the knot 105 tends to come loose when walking or running.

While some of these prior art methods comprise knots, such as that shown in FIG. 1 , others comprise double knots. Some methods apply to ties that are composed of specific synthetic or natural materials, such as of nylon, or of polyester, or of cotton, or of leather, or of some combinations of these materials. In all situations, it is very common for the outerwear to come loose when walking or running, and the wearer often finds that their outerwear (such as their footwear) must be retied to continue to function as desired. Sometimes the need to retie outerwear occurs several times while the outerwear is continuously worn. The need to repeatedly retie outerwear is sometimes cumbersome and impractical when there are no places to sit and easily retie the outerwear, especially to retie footwear. Sometimes, for example, for older adults, for people with injuries, or for people with handicaps or dexterity issues, or for people with foot pain, it is difficult to retie footwear after the footwear has been initially tied. It is desirable to have a method of tying outerwear to minimize the need to retie that outerwear should the ties loosen when worn.

Therefore, considering the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome these drawbacks in existing approaches for tying outerwear, such as footwear.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to provide a method for tying outerwear to minimize undesired loosening. When a person moves forward, backward, or from side to side, for example, walking, running, skating, skiing, etc., the ties of their outerwear are pulled by gravity and/or wind (including air flow) in the opposite direction to the person's movement. That is, the force of gravity and air passing by their outerwear causes the pull on the ties. This pull acts more forcefully on the longer ends of the ties. If the longer ends are the terminating ends (for example, with aglets,) the ties are forced to loosen with the person's movement over time. If the longer ends are the ends with the loops, the ties are forced to tighten with the person's movement over time.

One exemplar method for footwear in accordance with the aspects of the disclosed embodiments includes crossing the laces, placing one lace under the other, pulling on the ends of each lace away from each other, folding each lace separately over itself to form a loop, tying the looped ends to form a knot, forming the looped ends to ensure that the looped ends of the lace are longer than the ends of the lace with the aglets (such as the hardened and often taped end that fits through the eyelets on footwear,) and tying the laces tight with any method, such as with single or multiple knots to form a “large-loop knot,” and/or with clamping devices, and/or with spring lock stoppers. This method is applicable also to other outerwear.

Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate or at least partially address the aforementioned problems in the prior art.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure are made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.

It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and as defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. Exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of tied footwear of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of footwear before step (a) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of footwear after step (a) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of footwear after step (b) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of footwear after step (c) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of footwear after step (d) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of footwear after step (e) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of footwear after step (f) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number may be employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item.

When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or for practicing the present disclosure are also possible. For examples, embodiments may be created using manual or automatic tying mechanisms.

The aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to a method for tying ties on outerwear or on an other object. The method of tying of the disclosed embodiments is configured to minimize the possibility of the tie becoming loose during use of the outerwear. The method includes tying the ties so that the ties become tied tighter over time, or so that the ties self-tighten, when the wearer moves.

FIG. 2 illustrates a shoe with an untied pair of shoelaces, also referred to as laces. In this example, the pair of laces are referenced as a right lace 201 and a left lace 202. The footwear 200 in this example is a right shoe. Similar designations would be used for the left shoe.

In the example of FIG. 2 , the right lace 201 exits an uppermost eyelet 210 on the outer side 211, or right side, of the shoe 200. The left lace 202 exits the uppermost eyelet 220 on the inner side 221, or left side, of the shoe 200.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the right lace 201 is configured to be held by the left hand, while the left lace 202 is configured to be held in the right hand, during the implementation of the aspects of the disclosed embodiments. The manner in which the laces are held, or in which hand, is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. The laces 201, 202 can be held in any suitable manner while implementing the aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 3 contains an illustration of the shoe of FIG. 2 , with the right lace 201 and left lace 202 crossed over one another. In this example, the left lace 202 is crossed over the top of the right lace 201 as shown.

In the example of FIG. 4 , a loop 203 is formed in the left lace 202. The loop 203 is formed around the right lace 201 as shown.

In the example of FIG. 5 , following the formation of the loop 203 in FIG. 4 , the right lace 201 is pulled in the direction A toward the end 501 of the lace 201, while the left lace 202 is pulled in the direction B toward the end 502 of the lace 202.

Referring to FIG. 6 , once the laces 201, 202 are pulled as shown in FIG. 5 , a loop 601 is formed in the right lace 201. A loop 602 is formed in the left lace 202.

In the example of FIG. 7 , the loop 601 is pulled by the left hand or fingers while the loop 602 is pulled by the right hand or fingers. Reference 701 is the loop end of the right lace 201 of FIG. 2 , while reference 702 is the loop end of the left lace 202 of FIG. 2 . Reference 703 is the knot.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the loop 601 of FIG. 7 is pulled in the direction C, while the loop 602 of FIG. 7 is pulled in direction D. This forms the knot 803 shown in FIG. 8 .

The aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to a method for tying ties on outerwear (such as on footwear) to minimize the possibility of their becoming loose. In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 3 , a first step (a) is to cross a first or right lace 201 and a second or left lace 202. In this example, the footwear 200 is the shoe for the right foot. In the example where the footwear 200 is the shoe for the left foot, the first lace 201 can be the left lace, while the second lace 202 can be the right lace. In the example of FIG. 3 , the first lace 201 exits from the uppermost eyelet 210 on the outside portion 211 of the shoe 200, while the second lace 202 exits from the uppermost eyelet 220 on the inside portion 221 of the shoe 200.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second step (b). As shown in FIG. 4 , the loop 203 is formed by placing the second lace 201 under or looped around the first lace 201.

As shown in FIG. 5 , a third step includes pulling an end 501 of the first lace 201 away from an end 502 of the second lace 202 to form a knot 503. In the example of FIG. 5 , the first lace 201 is pulled in direction A, while the second lace 202 is pulled in direction B. The pulling is configured to tighten the knot 503.

In a step (d), as shown in FIG. 6 , the first lace 201 of FIG. 5 is folded over itself to form a first loop 601, and the second lace 202 is folded over itself to form a second loop 602.

In a step (e), referring to FIG. 7 , the first loop 601 and second loop 602 of FIG. 6 are tied together to form a knot 703. The knot 703 is being formed by placing the second loop 602 under or looped around the first loop 601.

Referring to FIG. 8 , is a step (f) per FIG. 8 , the first loop 601 and the second loop 602 of FIG. 7 , are pulled in the directions C and D, respectively. The pulling of the first loop 601 is configured to ensure that the first loop 601 of the first lace 201 is longer than the part or end 801 of the first lace 201 ending with aglet 810. The pulling of the second loop 602 is configured to ensure that the second loop 602 of the second lace 202 is longer than the part or end 802 of the second lace 202 lace ending with aglet 820.

Still referring to FIG. 8 , in a step (g,) pulling the first loop 601 and the second loop 602 to tighten them in the large-loop knot 803. This embodiment is complete.

In one embodiment, the method for tying laces to minimize the possibility of their becoming loose includes the following steps, in this order:

(a) crossing a first lace and a second lace;

(b) placing the first lace under the second lace;

(c) pulling an end of the first lace away from an end of the second lace to form a knot;

(d) folding the first lace over itself to form a first loop and folding the second lace over itself to form a second loop;

(e) tying the first loop and the second loop to form a large-loop knot;

(f) forming the first loop and the second loop to ensure that the first loop of the first lace and the second loop of the second lace are longer than parts of the first lace and the second lace ending with aglets; and

(g) pulling the first lace and the second lace to tighten them in the large-loop knot.

In one embodiment, the laces are comprised of synthetic materials, such as of nylon, or of polyester. Another embodiment uses laces that are comprised of natural materials, such as of cotton, or of leather. Another embodiment uses laces that are comprised of some combinations of some or all of the above-listed materials, as well as optionally comprised of other materials, such as Velcro or a Velcro equivalent.

The tying method of the disclosed embodiments can applied to any object that uses or requires laces. These objects can include, but are not limited to footwear, clothing, or bags.

Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, “is” used to describe and to claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural. 

1. A method for tying laces comprising ends on outerwear to minimize the possibility of their becoming loose, the method comprising the steps of: (a) crossing a first lace and a second lace, (b) placing the first lace under the second lace, (c) pulling an end of the first lace away from an end of the second lace to form a knot, (d) folding the first lace over itself to form a first loop and folding the second lace over itself to form a second loop, (e) tying the first loop and the second loop to form a large-loop knot, (f) forming the first loop and the second loop to ensure that the first loop of the first lace and the second loop of the second lace are longer than parts of the first lace and the second lace ending with aglets, and (g) pulling the first lace and the second lace to tighten them in the large-loop knot.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outerwear is footwear.
 3. An outerwear tied with a large loop knot, the large loop knot being configured to minimize the possibility of a first lace coming loose from a second lace in the large loop knot, wherein the large-loop knot is formed by: (a) crossing the first lace and the second lace, (b) placing the first lace under the second lace, (c) pulling an end of the first lace away from an end of the second lace to form a knot, (d) folding the first lace over itself to form a first loop and folding the second lace over itself to form a second loop, (e) tying the first loop and the second loop to form a large-loop knot, (f) forming the first loop and the second loop to ensure that the first loop of the first lace and the second loop of the second lace are longer than parts of the first lace and the second lace ending with aglets, (g) pulling the first lace and the second lace to tighten them in the large-loop knot.
 4. The outerwear according to claim 3, wherein the outerwear is footwear. 